Whitlock's Little Sister
by The Girl With the Angel Wings
Summary: "Little one, I'll protect you. From everythin'." "You meant it literally!" "Edward, you watch your hands. Or I'll be watchin' them for ya." "Don't mess with Southern Belle Bella. She comes with Big Brother Jasper." There isn't just one Whitlock anymore.
1. 01: Another One?

**Okay. Had this idea when I was just about to fall asleep. Wrote this in a couple of hours. Tell me if I should keep it or not. It's a multi-chapter story.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenine Meyer. The PLOT, though, belongs to ME.**

* * *

_2010-Forks, Washington-Cullen House-Jasper Charles Whitlock Hale_

"It's Jasper's turn to choose where we go."

My head snapped up in shock. Was it really my turn?

Edward laughed at my shock. "Yes, Jazz," I flinched lightly, "It is your turn to choose" I grinned, excited. What to choose, what to choose...

_Italy? No, I really don't want to have the Volturi on my people-to-see list. Germany? Do I really want to give Emmett any chance to annoy me by imitating Hitler? Spain? Nah, the girl's don't need another reason to shop. _Edward laughed at my fast paced thoughts._ Where in the world could people go that have practically been everywhere?_

Laughing lightly, I figured out where I wanted to go. It was so obvious!

"I wish to go to Mexia, Texas."

Emmett groaned loudly, slapping his hand to his face, but I could care less what he thought. The only real reason I wanted to go was to big a secret to tell my family.

Large, brown, doe-like eyes flashed through my mind, followed by large, golden, doe-like eyes. This happened in a quick second, and I only hoped Edward hadn't seen.

"Who's eyes were those?"

Of course he had seen. Why shouldn't he have?

Alice looked at me, knowing exactly who's eyes I had seen. She turned to Edward, and spoke.

"Jasper doesn't have to-"

"My little sister's," I answered softly. The room got quiet.

"Your little sister's?" Carlisle asked, curiosity rolling off him in waves. I nodded once sharply. Rose sat next to him.

"You never told us you've had a sister."

"Have," I answered reflexively, and locked my jaw in shock. Alice gasped beside me, hands flying up to her mouth.

"What do you mean 'have'?" Rose's tone dared me to not answer her.

So I took the dare.

Ignoring her, I turned to Alice.

"I'll be right back." She nodded and followed me to the base of the stairs. Standing there, she watched as I loped up the stairs.

Opening our door, I slowed my pace to a human's, taking my time in getting to the nightstand. Once I was there, I tugged the top drawer lightly, careful to not shake the contents in it. Lifting the ornate box up, I gently ran my fingertips across the golden lettering on the pearl lid. The sunlight gently reflected off of it, and I read the name.

___Isabella Marie Whitlock_

My baby sister.

* * *

___2010-Forks, Washington-Cullen House-Edward Anthony Masen Cullen_

I watched Alice stand at the base of the stairs, guarding the route Jasper just took to get up to their room. She looked like she was thinking about something, and I hoped it was the about the mysterious little sister Jasper had mentioned.

___-Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven-_

I glared at the little evil pixie by the stairs who was keeping me out. She stuck her tongue out at me and continued with the prayer in her head. Why was she keeping me out? I thought to myself. I tried to wrap my head around it, and couldn't. I knew that she knew, and she_ definitely _knew. That's why she was keeping me out. But_ why?_

I heard Jasper sigh as he remember the two pairs of eyes that belonged to the same person. He didn't think of anything else, just the eyes. And why were they so familiar? I pondered over that as Jasper came back down at a human's pace. Jasper, Jasper...Where did he fit in with the eyes?

Then it hit me.

Those two pairs of eyes, the brown pair and the gold pair, were exactly like his. Almost almond-like, and long lashes that brushed the high cheekbones that they both possessed.

I gasped in shock, and everybody looked at me. I shook my head, just waiting to get my answers from Jasper. He sat down on the chair across from me, placing the box he was carrying on the table. A black piece of paper was put over the top.

"Jasper," Alice said softly from her perch on the arm of his chair, "I think it's time you told them." He nodded and took a breath to settle himself.

"It was January of 1844. I was one years old, too young to remember all of this, but I was told the story."

"Mama an' Pa got in a fight, an' Mama left, never to come back. She ended up marryin' Mr. Charles Swan, the richest man in town, because she wanted to be the richest woman in town. She left Pa an' I alone, an' that was the most heinous things she's ever done. But she did have another child."

Jasper smiled at the thought of the child, and I caught a glimpse of a small, darling little four-year-old girl with the bounciest curls you'll ever see.

"Her name was Isabella Marie Swan, but she was called Bella. Everyone just loved her as soon as they saw her. Mr. Swan called the Southern Belle of Mexia, because, even when she grew up, she easily was the most beautiful girl in town. She had loose, mahogany curls, large, brown, doe-like eyes, a smile that would light up the world if it could, an' the prettiest singin' voice."

Jasper's smile turned cunning.

"But there was a scandal. The more Bella grew, the more she began to look like me an' Pa. Same eye color an' shape, same laugh, same strong gait in her walk, but more feminine, of course. When she was three, the truth came out. Bella was the daughter of Pa, but Mama didn't know she was pregnant until she had married Mr. Swan, so she tried to pass her off as Mr. Swan's. When Bella found out, she tried to come home with Pa one day, hiding in the back of the wagon. When that got out, the town was in an uproar. Bella told everyone what would happen at home. Mr. Swan knew she wasn't his, so he would beat her, lock her in closets an' cabinets, an' put her outside with the horses. But in the public eye, he treated her like the darling she is. He was a great actor."

Jasper suddenly got happier.

"Pa fought with the courts for Bella, an' after seven months, she finally became Isabella Marie Whitlock, little sister of Jasper Charles Whitlock. It was two weeks before her fourth birthday, and Pa planned like a madman. He threw the best party for her, an' that's when she became his little Princess."

"We started growing up fast, Pa said, an' Bella an' I became inseparable. She stopped wearing dresses an' her hair in long, feminine do's. She started wearin' men's clothes, an' pullin' her hair back so it wouldn't get in her face. She rode horses, wrestled with pigs, spit farther than any man, an' swore like a sailor. She rode a horse better than any cowboy out there. Actually, she had her own horse, the one I bought her. Lightnin', she called her. Black as night, with a white patch that shone like the moon. Or lightnin' in the sky, I guess. But that horse was the fastest one you could find in all of Texas. She raised her that way, pullin' her up to her full pure stallion potential. An' as payment back to me, she bought me a dark gray horse that she had named Thunder, because you could here that horse miles away. I raised him to be a race horse, but nowhere near my sister's horse. But we would ride through town, and people would yell, 'Here come the Whitlocks'! Here comes Thunder and Lightnin'!' Made us royalty in that town."

Jasper's fell slightly, showing sorrow.

"You know how I was 17 when I joined the Confederacy Army, playin' it up that I was 20. But Bella was 15, an' she begged an' pleaded for me to stay, to wait til I was actually 20. I couldn't, for Pa had fallen ill, and Bella was being expected to marry soon. I knew if I stayed, Bella wouldn't marry and Pa would die. So I went to Houston. Joined the Army."

Jasper scowled slightly.

"Maria had changed me when I had just turned 20, so Bella was still 17, an' she still hadn't married. Made up excuses in our letters that we sent. I had kept sending letters, even after I was changed, to keep Bella in peace of mind. But Maria found out. She went to Mexia and found Bella, alone in a home where Pa had just died, fightin' off suitors and the depression. Maria slipped her something that made her incredibly sick, an' came back to tell me that Bella was goin' through what Pa had. Now, I didn't know any better, and believed Maria. It wasn't til long after did I find out the truth."

"Maria convinced me to let her change Bella, make her a newborn, make her better again. And I never thought once 'bout Maria's motives, just that my baby sister will be well again, an' safe by my side."

"Maria had brought her in, an' I couldn't bear to watch..."

* * *

___*Flashback*_

___1863-Monterry, Mexico-Newborn Hiding Place-Jasper Charles Whitlock_

___I walked into the room Maria called me into, hoping that she had already changed Bella, and I wouldn't have to watch._

___But she hadn't._

___My little sister, my Bella, was lying on a metal table, her white cowboy boots covering the bottom parts of my pants that she took to wearing when I had left, a white corset that was habit to wear, and a small man's top that was tappered in to fit her cut straight down the middle. She was flushed with heat from her sickness, and her eyes were bloodshot. Her natural curls had matted to her face from her sweat, and she looked paler than normal, almost as pale a vampire._

___I turned away, partly out of respect for her, since her corset was showing and this was my _**little sister**_. But mostly I turned away because I could stand to see her like that. So helpless, so sick, when I always had seen her so full of life, so obstinate. Maria was speaking to her._

_"Hush, Miss Bella, hush. We're going to take this sickness away from you, but in order to do that, it has to get worse. So you musn't scream, oh no. For if you scream, it will just hurt you by tiring you out. Do you understand, Miss Bella?"_

_"I-I do," she whispered out, her voice no louder than a breath. I could feel her eyes in the back of my skull. "I-Is that my Jazzie? My b-big brother?"_

_"Yes, it is. Would you like to speak to him?"_

_"Y-Yes. I-I wish to speak t-to him."_

_I spun around quickly, keeping my eyes locked on her face, before walking up to her. She flinched at the color of my eyes. Bright red. Glowing with the blood I had taken not even hours ago. But she studied the rest of my face, and smiled shakily._

_"Y-You look a lot like your o-oldself, Jazz. Just p-prettier." She laughed breathily, then began to cough. My hand was already lifting her up, rubbing her back to ease her pain. When she stopped, I layed her back down._

_"Bell, Maria's goin' to make you all better, you hear me? Then I'm goin' to show you everythin' once you're ready, okay?" She nodded at me. I kissed her gently on the forehead. "You're goin' to be alright," I whispered to her. She nodded once more, and lifted her hand to place the tips of her fingers just under my right eye._

_"W-will my eyes be l-like yours?" I moved her hand away and nodded. She closed her eyes. "G-good. Don't want p-people actin' like w-we aren't related." I laughed lightly at that and took my hand out her grasp, turning to go. "No!" I turned around to see Bella's wide, brown eyes panic-filled. "D-Don't leave me!" I went back to her side. She looked at me with soft, pleading eyes. "Don't leave m-me," she whispered._

_"Wouldn't dream of it," I whispered back, taking her hand. Maria came back in._

_"Are you ready, Miss Bella?" Bella nodded, gripping my hand a little tighter, not that it was much. She had almost no strength. Maria looked at me. "Can you-"_

_"No," I answered firmly, glaring at her. She shrugged and turned to Bella. Leaning down, I watched Maria open her mouth and Bella close her eyes. Right before they closed all the way, I took one last look at them, knowing that I wouldn't see them again._

* * *

_2010-Forks, Washington-Cullen House-Edward Anthony Masen Cullen_

We all watched as Jasper told the story about his sister's last moments human. Rosalie opened her mouth and asked a question.

"How did you stand the smell of her blood?"

Jasper shot his head up, his mind racing a thousand miles a minute.

_How DARE she-I ought to-she has no-IT'S MY LITTLE SISTER! WHAT ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO? DRINK HER DRY?_

The tenor of his last thought made pain shoot through my head, and I cried out. Everyone looked at me.

"Sorry, Edward. It's just, that's my baby sister. I could never, an' I mean NEVER, drink her dry." I nodded.

"It's okay, Jaz-Jasper." I saw the look of gratefulness he gave me.

_Thanks for not callin' me Jazz._

"You're welcome." Emmett gave me a look, like I was crazy or something.

"Why are you telling him 'you're welcome'?" I turned to Jasper, wondering if I could tell them. He nodded lightly. I turned back to Emmett.

"He doesn't like being called Jazz," I said, ready to be asked why. But Jasper spoke before Em could ask.

"My little sister called me that, gave me that nickname. It makes me remember her." Alice rubbed his back gently. Rose went to touch the box, getting ready to open it, when Jasper grabbed her wrist, growling. "Don't. Touch. The box." She backed up.

"I just wanted to know why it was covered." Jasper sighed and removed the paper, letting us see what he was hiding.

The box was a perfect retangular prism, it's sides made from pure pearl, and it's edges and hinges were solid gold. Across the top was a calligrahpic type of lettering, spelling out the name we had only heard from Jasper.

_Isabella Marie Whitlock._

Underneath it was one date.

_9-13-1845._

"Was this when she was born? September 13?" Alice asked, running a single finger over the numbers. Jasper nodded. A curious thought passed through his head.

"What was that?" Jasper shook his head.

"Jasper, can I please know?" Jasper's yellow eyes looked into mine, and sighed. He reached down the front of his shirt and produced a locket a little larger than the size of a thumbpad. On the locket was a large calligraphic B.

"This was Bella's. A couple decades after she was changed, Maria decided that Bella was too much of a threat to her. Bella was beautiful, talented, an' charismatic. And Maria knew if it came down to a fight, I would take Bella's side. So Maria ordered me to destroy her under the pretense that Bella's way of life wasn't the correct way." Jasper chuckled lightly.

"You know, that's why it was easier for me to do the conversion from human blood to animal blood. Bella was unique in the south. She refused to drink human's blood, saying it disgusted her. And I tried to follow in her steps, but it was hard. I only had her to help me. Here, I have six other people to help."

"She was the change in Mexia. Most of the south still drinks human blood, but in our hometown, vampires roam. Bella sent them there, telling them it was a safe haven for vampires who didn't want the wars. An' it still is."

"Back to the locket. The night I was to destroy her, I told her to run. Run far away, away from Maria. But before she left, she made me change lockets with her. So she would have mine, with the J, an' I would have hers, with the B. It was the last time I saw her."

"Jasper," Alice said, her eyes blank, "what if we could find her?" The visions flipping through her head confused me.

His head snapped up.

"Impossible. I believe the Volturi found her, an' killed her. They saw her once durin' the wars they came to stop. Aro wondered at her gifts, an' offered her a place on his guard. But she refused, and ran back to Monterry, our safehouse. I told her never to go near them again. If they found her, run." I heard his slip-up.

"You said 'gifts'. Vampires only can have one gift," I corrected, but Jasper was shaking his head.

"No, she had two. One was a sheild. She could protect her mind from all kinds of mental attacks, safe or not. The other was a kind of persuasion. She could influence people's choices by mentionin' her preference an' willin' it to be their's too. She was very talented. She could also hold her own in a fight, thanks to me." I noticed Jasper was smug. Alice was still flipping through her visions.

_-A horse, one black as night, running-A pair of white cowboy boots hooked into stirrups-Jasper's name stiched on what looked like jeans-Large, golden, doe-like eyes, throwing a wink in our direction-A tiny blonde, her purple eyes shocked as she looked at Jasper-The look on Jasper's eyes as he stood in front of a door carved from sturdy wood-_

Then one vision, only one, was full, sharp, and absolutely going to happen.

_-A small female, looking no older than 16, was standing next to a large, black horse. Her golden eyes roved the stadium, a smirk playing on her lips as she saw the crowd. Mounting the horse swiftly, she led it to the starting gates. Twirling an older style of a gun, she nodded once to the man holding the open gates button. He nodded back. Tilting her hat so her eyes and nose disappeared, the smirk stayed as she spoke._

_"Well, look at what we have here. A full house. An' I'm pretty sure you're not here for some food."_

_Everybody laughed._

_"Unless you guys like horse." She laughed once, a short peel of bells._

_"Now, who's ready for some racin'?"_

_The cheers erupted. One person started the chant of her name and soon most picked it up._

_"Bella! Bella! Bella! Bella!"_

_The man holding the button turned around, grinning._

_"Now, y'all let Miss Whitlock shoot the gun, or we ain't goin' anywhere."_

_Everyone quieted. The girl on the horse, Miss Bella Whitlock, lifted the gun._

_"Let the games begin."_

_And pulled the trigger.-_

Alice blinked, returning to the present. She looked at Carlisle.

"Can I go buy the tickets now? I really want first-class."

* * *

**This must be the fastest I wrote something of this caliber. It's just...Wow. I can't believe it. And honestly, where in the world the idea came from, I won't know. I just figured it might be good. So here goes. Hope you like it.**


	2. 02: Vampire Country

**Hey! Look what's up! The next chapter! Woo!**

**I apologize for my craziness. Just woke up.**

**I would like to give a big thanks to everyone who reviewed last time! It made my day when I saw this story being liked!**

**And now on to the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: If I could do it without being sued, I would change my name to Stephenie Meyer and claim I wrote the Twilight Saga. But, alas, I cannot.**

_2010-Houston, Texas-Houston Airport-Mary Alice Brandon Cullen Whitlock_

"Hurry up, Rose! If we don't get to Mexia soon, Jasper's going to sulk! And I _know _it." Rosalie came out of the bathroom, running a brush through her hair. I swear, that girl is too obsessed with her hair.

"Okay, Alice! God, if I didn't know any better, I would assume you had a surprise in Mexia for him." I shrugged and turned around, skipping over to the pretty Ferrari I convinced Jasper to rent. Rose grabbed my arm.

"You do have a surprise!" I gave her a look. "What is it?" I smiled and shook my head no, slipping into the passenger side. Jasper was waiting already.

"Ready?" His deep voice flowed smoothly in the car as he put it in drive.

"Yep!" I happily chirped, lacing my fingers with his. He smiled at me and I swear if my heart was beating, it would have stopped. I smiled back and reached down to my bag, pulling out my MapQuest directions.

"Okay, so it says that we have a little over two and a half hours to drive, so we'll be there in about an hour." I looked at him. "Do you know where you're going?" He chuckled and nodded as he pulled onto Interstate 45. I turned on the radio, turning it to a station that I didn't know, hoping for some good music.

_It was 1989, my thoughts were short  
My hair was long  
Caught somewhere between a boy and man  
She was seventeen  
And she was far from inbetween  
It was summertime in Northern Michigan_

_Splashin' through the sandbar  
Talkin' by the campfire  
It's the simple things in life  
Like when and where  
We didn't have no internet  
But man, I never will forget  
The way the moonlight shined upon her hair._

I looked to Jasper, seeing him mouthing the words along with the singer. He saw me looking and grinned.

"You like this song?"

"Yes. It reminds me of times in Texas when there wasn't wars." I nodded and listened to the song. The guitar solo was good.

_Now, nothin' seemed as strange  
As when the leaves began to change.  
Or how we thought those days would never end.  
Sometimes I hear that song  
And start to sing along.  
And think  
'Man, I'd love to see that girl again.'_

The song repeated the chorus and let the guitar take us out. For the next hour, we listened to country music and the occasional Spanish song. Jasper seemed happy that we were going back to his hometown, but with him, I could never tell. I was just hoping that my vision was going to come true. If it did, Jasper was going to be on a one-way trip to Happyville.

* * *

I never understood how one town could be filled with Vampires, and no one would noticed. But as we pulled up to the hotel we were staying in, I could finally see it. The sun was shining brightly, but that didn't stop anyone from being outside. Men wore flannel shirts tucked into jeans and rolled up to the elbow, their forearms sparkling. Women wore loose skirts to their knees or a little higher, and tanktops and tubetops under Women's plaid and flannel shirts, sleeves all different lengths. Most wore cowboy boots, holding the old ways, although some wore gym shoes or heels. A lot wore hats to keep the sun out of their eyes, and when you would look at the locals, you saw two colors of eyes. Gold, which made them animal drinkers, and purple, which was _really _confusing. I shrugged and followed my family into the hotel.

They all were looking at a picture by the door, one that looked close to the age of Jasper. A caught a glimpse of it, but decided to wait to see it later. Turning to the front desk to check in, I saw a girl I had seen earlier this week.

A tiny blonde girl was standing there, her purple eyes shocked as she looked at Jasper, who was still looking at the picture. She opened her mouth, and I saw what she would say before she said it.

"JASPER WHITLOCK?" The girl's voice betrayed her size. She could deafen an Elephant.

Jasper turned around, confused, until he saw the girl. Laughing, he responded.

"Is that Li'l Ol' Miss Savannah Fuller?" She squealed and launched herself over the counter, flying at him. He caught her and squeezed her, still laughing as she was put down, babbling in shock that Jasper was back in Mexia, and they needed to celebrate. She froze and grinned widely.

"Oh! Susanna! SUSANNA! You'll never guess who's back!" She flew to the door that said Management, and started pounding on it. "Stop gettin' it on with Dex! Come and see who's back!"

The door flew open, and a repleca of Savannah came out, looking furious.

"Savannah! How many times do I have to tell you? STOP INTERUPTIN' ME!"

Savannah waved her off and pointed at Jasper. Susanna growled at her.

"I don't care who's back!" Savannah spun her furious twin around towards Japser. She turned back around and started in on Savannah.

"Okay? Jasper's back! Good for...him..." She spun around slowly. "Jasper?" He nodded. The girl's face broke into a smile and she squealed, having the same reaction as her sister. She tackled him, and squeezed him to death.

I was starting to feel jealous.

Both Edward and Jasper laughed. Jasper gripped my hand and tugged me to the two girls.

"Su, Sav, this is Alice. My mate." The two girls grinned and had totally different reactions. The one on the left (I can't tell them apart if they don't act different) gave me a hug, squeezing me. The one on the right punched Jasper in the arm, smirking.

"Finally," she said, and suddenly she was in a headlock, Jasper musing her hair. She screamed and went to attack Jasper.

"I'm goin' to kill you, boy!" He grinned and ducked behind a chair. She pursed her lips as she tried not to laugh at Jasper, who really can't hide behind a chair. He peeked over and grinned.

"You're just jealous of my mad skills," he said. She couldn't hold it in. She fell and began laughing. Jasper and the other one joined her.

"Have you ever seen Jasper act like this?" Rose was speaking to Carlisle. He shook his head no.

"It must be because he's in his hometown," Esme said, smiling softly at her 'son' laughing on the floor. We all agreed that's probably it. Jasper shot up.

"I never told you, did I?" We all looked confused, so he continued. "Susanna and Savannah are Empaths too. Susanna deals with bad emotions, and Savannah deals with good emotions." The girls nodded. We still looked confused. Jasper sighed.

"It means that Sav and I are feeding the good emotions around us, keeping them going."

"Oh," Emmett said, the only one admiting that he didn't get it before.

"Anyway, I'm pretty sure you want to know how to tell us apart," the one on the left said.

"That would be perfect," Emmett said. The girl nodded.

"I'm Savannah. I have purple eyes. Pure purple. This is Susanna. She has purple with gold flakes. She takes both kinds of blood." Susanna rolled her eyes. I could tell by his face that Carlisle was confused.

"Why are your eyes purple?" He asked.

"Yeah. I never saw anything like it." Jasper dusted himself off. The girls went to answer, but a voice behind them spoke for them.

"They drink donated Human blood." Susanna smiled and turned around, wrapping her arms around the male that came in. Jasper shook hands with him.

"Hey, Dex." Dex grinned.

"Hey yourself, big man. Never thought I'd see you back here. Thought you'd left for good."

"Had to get away from Maria." Jasper shrugged. "You know." Dex slapped him on the back.

"That I do know, my friend." Suddenly, there was a crash. We all hurried over to see what happened. Savannah was frozen, the rack of keys behind her all over the floor. Susanna groaned.

"What happened?"

"Nothin'," Savannah chirped, smiling innocently.

She handed us our keys and sent us to our rooms. Jasper's and I's was large, and furnished perfectly. I flopped on the bed and watched as Jasper turned on the TV, settling down next to me. We sat like that for a couple of hours.

* * *

_2010-Mexia, Texas-Mexia's Hotel-Edward Anthony Masen Cullen_

I changed out of my nice jeans, sweater, and gym shoes, and into what Alice said was 'appropriate' for tonight. Light blue jeans, dark blue cowboy boots, and a dark blue button up shirt. I was kind-of afraid of what she had planned for tonight. I walked out of room, only to find everyone dressed up like cowboys. Jasper wore a brown button up over medium blue jeans and brown cowboy boots. Emmett wore a burgandy button up top over dark blue jeans and dark red cowboy boots. Rosalie wore a red camisole under a black button up, short sleeved shirt and dark wash skinny jeans with bright red cowboy boots. Alice wore a one-shouldered light brown top under a pink button up top that matched Rose's, medium blue skinny jeans, and light brown cowboy boots.

"Where's Carlisle and Esme?" I asked.

"They've decided to stay in tonight." Alice rolled her eyes, obviously upset that she didn't have two more opportunities to dress people up.

"Anyway," Rose said, clapping her hands, "Where are we going, oh Pixie of Doom?"

"To the racetrack!" Alice was grinnind like a maniac. "You'll never guess where it is, though!"

"Where, Alice?" Jasper brushed a piece of her short black hair behind her ear. She grabbed his hand and pulled it to her face.

"Your old home," she said softly. Jasper froze, eyes wide. Then he grinned and I caught what he was thinking.

_Everyone pulled together a buildin' around the racetrack Bell and I built when we were younger. Pa would've been so proud. Anyway, what are we waitin' for? _The last thought was directed towards me.

"Don't know, Jasper. Ask Alice."

"We're going, we're going," she said, exasperated. We all followed her out the door to find that the sun was setting. Pausing for a second, I admired the beauty of a Texan Sunset.

"Come on, Edward! We wouldn't want to be late! Savannah said Jasper's going to race!"

"I'm goin' to what?" _I'm goin' to WHAT?_

_Oh, this is too good to be true. _Emmett was thinking, already plotting ways to make fun of him.

_So, THAT's what Alice's surprise was! _I had no clue what Rosalie was thinking.

_Ha! Jasper will never suspect a thing! _Alice cast a glance at me, and suddenly started keeping me out. _Pink. It's my new obsession. Pink. It's not even a question. _I got out of her head quickly.

"Can we go now?" Susanna stood in front of us, also keeping me out. _Cause it's a good-time cowboy casanova, leaning up against the record machine._

What. The. Hell.

Jasper glared at Susanna, and asked, "Were you a part of this, Sue?" She just smiled and began running to the west. We followed quickly. She kept running until we came upon a wrought iron gate. The sign fashioned out of the same metal was sitting over the gate. It read:

_Whitlock Property  
Do Not Enter_

We walked in, ignoring the sign, and came face to face with a really nice-looking, southern sytle house. It was white, the paint obviously being kept up with. The shutters and doors were a dark blue. A large, wrap-around porch was settled on the front, left, and back of the house. It's roof and the regular roof was also dark blue. On the porch was two rocking chairs, a small table in between them, and couch on the other side.

"Jasper!" Savannah came out the house, the door swinging shut behind her. She carried a brown hat in her hands.

"Put this on, get into the stable, choose a horse, and get to the track. We got a race to put on." She ran off quickly, heading to the track. Susanna followed after her, waving goodbye. We stood there like idiots.

"I guess y'all are supposed to go that way, too. I'll be there soon." We nodded and ran off, following the scents that went this way. We soon came upon a large building.

"This is it," Alice said, and she ran ahead, going inside the building.

"Alice, wait!" Rose followed. Emmette went after her, but I walked over there, feeling...odd. Why did I feel like after tonight, nothing will be the same?

* * *

_2010-Mexia, Texas-Whitlock Racetrack-Mary Alice Brandon Cullen Whitlock_

Oh my god, I couldn't wait to see the look on Jasper's face when he sees the surprise! He's going to love it!

I sat in the seat Savannah told me to sit. I saw the whole track from here. Rose sat next to me, tuggin once on a lock on my hair. I scowled at her. Emmett passed by, and sat on Rose's other side. I wondered where Edward was, til I decided that he could take care of himself.

"Why are we here, Ali?" Rose asked.

"Well, my lovely blonde sister, we are here because I wanted Jasper to feel like himself again, which means riding a horse in a race. He needs this, Rose." I looked to her. "He needs to feel like his old self." She smiled at me.

"He should consider himself lucky, to have a mate like you, Alice." I looked down, slightly embaressed. Rose laughed and started talking to Emmett, and Edward came and sat down. I sat there, thinking, when a vision came on.

_The song started, and Edward took a step forward, only to be stopped by Jasper._

_"Edward, you watch your hands. Or I'll be watchin' them for ya." Edward nodded and walked to the girl standing in the middle of the room. He bowed, and she smiled and curtsied. He took her hand and placed it on his shoulder. Placing one on her waist, he grabbed her other and began dancing. Spinning gracefully around the room, she looked up at Edward, a soft smile lighting her face. Edward looked down at her, and the same smile was on his face._

_Suddenly, he lifted her up quickly. Once he put her down, he spun her around. Doing a quick two-step with her, she fell back and Edward grabbed her hands, letting her hang lightly from his hands. Pulling her up, they danced around for a couple more seconds before the song ended. Holding her hand, he bowed and she curtsied. The look he gave her as he gave back up was one of pure adoration._

_This girl was his mate._

I came out of the vision, and immediately blocked it from Edward's view. He wasn't paying attention anyway.

"Belles and Boys, welcome to the Annual Mexia Racetrack Racing Day! I'm Micheal, and we are here to find the fastest, the most cunning, the most ruthless, and the most fearless Vampire in Mexia. So, who's ready for the race?" A man stood in the middle of the racetrack, on the green, and he spoke in a loud voice, knowing that we didn't need the help of the microphone to hear. His blonde hair fell in his eyes and bright yellow eyes peered from under the mop. He grinned and gestured to the ground in front of him, which was dark from the spotlight on him.

"Now, without further ado, I present to you, The Lady of the Track!"

A small female, looking no older than 16, was standing next to a large, black horse. Her golden eyes roved the stadium, a smirk playing on her lips as she saw the crowd. Mounting the horse swiftly, she led it to the starting gates. Twirling an older style of a gun, she nodded once to Dex, who was holding the open gates button. He nodded back. Tilting her hat so her eyes and nose disappeared, the smirk stayed as she spoke.

"Well, look at what we have here. A full house. An' I'm pretty sure you're not here for some food."

Everybody laughed.

"Unless you guys like horse." She laughed once, a short peel of bells.

"Now, who's ready for some racin'?"

The cheers erupted. One person started the chant of her name and soon most picked it up.

"Bella! Bella! Bella! Bella!"

Dex, holding the button, turned around, grinning.

"Now, y'all let Miss Whitlock shoot the gun, or we ain't goin' anywhere."

Everyone quieted. The girl on the horse, Miss Bella Whitlock, lifted the gun.

"Let the games begin."

And pulled the trigger. The horses were out the gate, the jockeys pushing them to go faster. I looked for Jasper, but didn't see the familiar cut of wavy blonde hair that he had. Sitting back, I pouted, crossing my arms over my chest. Emmett poked my cheek.

"Why the sad face, little one?" I shot him a dirty look for the little one comment, and sighed.

"Jasper's not out there. Where is he?"

"He's still in the house, debating on whether or not he should do this," Edward said, still slightly dazed. I nodded and turned around to catch the ending of the race. Soon, all the jockeys were around Bella, wondering how Ralph? got it. She held up her hands.

"He won 'cause he raced correctly." They all grumbled and went back to doing there regular stuff. Everyone began talking again, waiting for the next race. Bella laughed and spoke clearly.

"Now, I didn't say the races were continuin'. We have a challenger." I felt my brain stop in shock. Savannah didn't. "Now, you all know the drill. No speakin', no whisperin', no nothin'. His name is J. Cullen. And I'm goin' to beat him." Everyone except our family had grins on their faces. Bella pulled her horse to the starting gates. Whistling sharply, Jasper came trotting out, taking his place at the gate. Dex lifted the gun. The duo pulled their hats lower on their faces, the left hand grabbing the reins and the right behind them slightly, ready to get the horse moving. The shot was fired, and off they went.

The race was noticablly slower than the first one. The first two laps weren't all that fast. But about half-way into the third, they both did the same thing. Crouching low behind the horse's head, they kicked them in the sides and suddenly sped up. However, it seemed Bella was slightly faster.

She passed the finish line, but didn't stop. She went sprinting into the holding places. Jasper dismounted his horse and looked off to where she ran off to.

"What's the matter with her?"

Savannah came flying up to him.

"You didn't let her see your face, right?" Jasper shrugged, not really knowing. He was too into the race. Savannah stomped her foot.

"Dammit! She wasn't supposed to know you're here!" Savannah then darted off, in the direction of Bella.

* * *

**Oh, Savannah's in for it now!**

**What's Bella going to say when Savannah finds her?**

**What's Jasper's opinion on all this?**

**And why is Bella running away from Jasper if she saw his face?**

**All questions to be answered next time!**

**Hope you liked it! Review!**


	3. 03: Brother and Sister

**Hey y'all!**

**I finally got this chapter out! I think I got the inspiration from watching Wild, Wild West with my Grandmama last night.**

**But I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**And Happy Thanksgiving!**

**Now, time for pumpkin pie...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. If I did, this is how it might happen.**

* * *

_2010-Mexia, Texas-Racetrack Horse Stable-Isabella Marie Whitlock_

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, HOLY SHIT!

What the _hell _is Savannah thinking? How could she do that to me?

I paced back and forth in front of Lightning's holding cell, tugging on my long braid. My yellow eyes darted here and there, trying to figure out _who _the hell that _was_, and how I can kill him.

Why would anyone pretend to be my big brother Jasper?

Isn't it bad enough that Aro had him killed long ago?

A sob was let loose from my mouth, and my legs folded under me, gracefully and beautifully. I started sobbing harder as I noticed that. Jasper was gone, leaving me alone in this hell called Eternity, and I would never be free, never be able to kill myself or ask my friends to do that because of my beliefs that Jasper instilled in me.

Jasper.

Why, oh why did Aro have to kill him? And why couldn't he have killed me too? I have nobody that was-oh, sorry, still _is-_as close to my heart as he is.

I never will have a family again.

Hearing light footsteps fastly approaching, I composed myself, pulling a furious facade that I had perfected long ago. Savannah came in, and I found myself not having to fake my anger.

"How could you, Savannah? How? He's been dead for decades now, an' you had to go and get someone to act like him!" She opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off. "No! I hate you! He was the only family I had left, an' I had accepted that he died a long time ago, leavin' me here! An' you go an' pull this stunt! How the hell could you?" I screeched all of this out, breathing hard as my anger broke surface and I lunged at her in blind fury.

"Let me go," I hissed, my face pressed into the hay on the ground.

"No," she said firmly. "I will talk first. How could I? How could I what? Try an' make one of my friends happy when she's over here hidin' behind fake smiles an' killin' herself over somethin' that never happened? Then I'll tell you how I could. I made sure that your brother-"

"HE IS NOT MY BROTHER!"

"He is your brother! If you hadn't run away an' actually confronted him, you would have seen it is Jasper, it _is _your big brother that was the only person you trusted during the wars! I made sure he raced, so when you had to shake his hand, you would have seen him, would have finally found that one person who held you together as you went through the fire, protected you when nobody liked your animal-blood takin' ways, an' made sure you were fine before he even thought about himself! But you had to run off! Where's the Bella who won't let anyone mess with her? Where's the girl who could take on the world if one of her friends were harmed, huh? WHERE THE HELL IS THAT GIRL?"

"She went an' hid when she saw that man out there," I whispered. I felt tears welling in my eyes, liquid drops that would never leave because I wasn't human. A sob broke through, and another, and more after that, and Savannah just held me next to her as she whispered calming words to my frazzled mind.

I don't know how long we sat there, and didn't care, but soon enough I was rising.

"I'm ready." Savannah smiled brightly.

"You won't be upset. That is Jasper." I looked at her.

"Are you sure?" I sounded like I was eighteen again, not over a century old. Savannah nodded.

"More sure than I am of Susanna being my twin sister." I choked a laugh out, shaking my head. The thought was growing on me. It is Jasper.

"Let's go, then!" I was excited. Tugging Sav's arm, I ran out of the stable, heading towards the house I lived in for my whole life. Gently coming up the stairs, I took a deep breath and opened the door. Freezing for a second, I came up with the best way to scare my brother.

"Jasper! I'm home! What's for dinner?" I heard seven people freeze at my voice, three try to to stop laughing, and Savannah slip into the living room. I followed her.

Coming around that corner and seeing my brother on the couch, the TV playing and a cowboy hat sitting on the couch next to him, I almost felt human.

"B-Bell?" He stuttered lightly, rising. I nodded once and said, "Hey, Jazzie." He broke into a smile and laughed. I did the same and lunged at him, my arms gripping around his neck as he held me up.

"Bella! My baby sister Bella!" He cried, swinging me around. I laughed and sobbed at the same time. He set me down, and I smiled. Looking around the room, I felt a twinge of jealousy.

"So this is your family," I said impassively. He nodded and watched as I walked up to the closest girl, the black haired pixie.

"You better have taken care of him. I don't like ignorant mates," I said lightly, my eyes light and friendly. She smiled.

"Don't worry. I kept his cowboy ass in line." I blinked and busted out laughing. She began laughing too.

"What's your name?" I asked, smiling.

"Alice," she said.

"Nice to meet ya, Alice." I stuck my hand out, but she had other ideas. She tackled me into a hug, and we both ended up on the floor.

"Now it was nice to meet you." I just stared at her.

"Strange, little Psychic pixie," I murmured, and she smiled at me and helped me off the floor. Tugging me over to the couch, she sat me down next to Jasper, her sitting on his other side.

"It's so weird to see you again," I said. He raised an eyebrow at me. I bit my lip, wondering if I should tell him or not.

"You're feeling guilty. Tell me what's wrong," he said, brushing my shoulder gently.

"I believed them," I whispered.

"Believed who?"

"_Them,_" I hissed, struggling to get through to him. He looked confused.

"The Volturi," A voice whispered behind me. I spun around to see Susanna with her hands over her mouth. A strong hand was gripping my bicep.

"They found you?" I shook my head, and Jasper's eyes narrowed.

"You went to them," he said flatly.

"Yes," I said softly, "but the only reason was because I knew they had the best Tracker, and if anyone could find where you were, it would be Demetri." Jasper looked as if he could go and kill someone right now.

"Why?"

I furrowed my brow, confused.

"Why did you go to them? And not someone else?" A sense of sorrow filled my head.

"Because you left me here," I murmured.

"I didn't leave you."

"Yes." I looked at him. "You did. You left me alone, after all the fightin' stopped. You didn't even try to find me." I could feel the tears gathering that would never fall.

"Didn't even try? Ha! I tried an' I tried but I just couldn't find you! You hid yourself way too well. I was startin' to wonder if the Volturi got you after all." A short laugh tumbled past my lips.

"The Volturi? Find me?" I grinned slightly. "You must be jokin'."

He shook his head in exasperation. "Still Bella." His eyes turned towards me. "But what do you mean by you believed them?"

I took a breath, and began my story.

* * *

_2010-Mexia, Texas-Whitlock House-Jasper Charles Whitlock Cullen_

"It was twenty years after I left," Bella began. My family moved silently into the room, as did Savannah, Susanna, and Dex. "I had been searchin' for you for three years, an' I was at my wits end."

"I had remembered Maria speakin' of the Volturi once, when she would tell the younger ones that if we didn't behave, they would kill us. So, I asked around. Most Vampires told me that they couldn't remember the Volturi. But one Vampire, a young man by the name of Peter," at this, she looked slyly at me, "gave me the information to get to Volterra, an' from there, the Volturi."

Her breath became shaky, like she was reliving it. It hit me suddenly. She probably was. I wrapped my arm around her tiny shoulders and rubbed her arm.

"Go on," I murmured. She nodded, and her golden eyes hardened.

"I met with Aro privately. He had remembered me from the first time he came to keep the wars down, an' was intrigued by my presence. I stopped him, an' told him I was here to ask a favor. I asked to use Demetri's power to find you because I could not. He nodded an' brought Demetri in."

"They tricked me, Jazz," she said, gripping my shirt. "They tricked me. Demetri told me he couldn't find you, an' that meant you were dead. I believed them. I believed them when they said that. I ran out of there, never to come back."

"That's when I came here. I came here to live peacefully, but after that, I was never the same."

"She wasn't." Savannah was kneeling by her side, pushing her hair back. "She tried to be normal, but with our photographic memory, we couldn't help but compare to the Bella we knew from the times in the wars. Yeah, she was serious then, but she always had this content air about her. It came from you, Jasper. She was content to have her brother with her. When she came back, she was restless and closed off. We almost broke through that shell once, but it came back stronger than ever. We missed the Bella we once knew." She looked up and patted my cheek. "Thank you for coming when you did."

I smiled a slightly broken smile. "I came back to be close to that life anyway. Close to my baby sister." Bella curled in closer to me. I rubbed her back. "Bellie-bop, I'm not going anywhere."

Her doe eyes peered through brown curls. "You called me Bellie-bop. I haven't been called that since I was seven." She smiled softly. "You promise you won't leave me again?"

I nodded once. "I promise."

* * *

**Aw, Jasper and Bella are finally united as brother and sister once again!**

**But what's going to happen when he has to go back to Forks?**

**And will Bella let him go peacefully?**

**What's going to happen to the family if Bella doesn't?**

**Stay tuned!**


	4. 04: A Curse and A Blessing

**Hey! I'm back! Who missed me?**

**(My friend always gives me a look when I say that. Like she's not happy to see me. DON'T DENY, ANNROSE!)**

**But anyways! I have a purpose to all this randomness.**

**(I think.**

**Wait...**

**Yeah! I do!)**

**So, I was reading Bella Swan: Kidnapper-**

**By the way, go read it. It is too funny! And I love Sophie. She's so cute!**

**-and I saw a story that had won a Bellie. So, me being me, I was all like, "What's a Bellie?" And I googled it. (The answer to life's questions.)**

**Dude. Did you know it's an award? ****I was like, "Asdfghjkl! You've got to be shitting me!'**

**And then, a light bulb turned on (a.k.a. My GENIUS Idea!) ****I'm making an award! It's called...**

**Dun, dun-dun-da!**

**An Eternity. They are Twilight Awards. And I have a whole thing planned out. I have the catergories, and the rules, and the dates. It's a done deal.**

**So, Nominations start on April 29th. So, go nominate!**

**the-eternity-awards(dot)webs(dot)com.**

* * *

_2010-Mexia, Texas-Whitlock Property-Isabella Marie Whitlock_

I sat in front of the house, curled tightly into my wicker chair on the porch. A heavy brown hair was perched on the crown of my head, shadowing my golden eyes from the gusty wind as i waited for the exact second the sunrise would start. It was a habit I started in my human days, after Jasper went to join the war, and it was a habit I brought over to my vampric life. I remember the exact day I started, even though it is a hazy human memory.

* * *

_*Flashback start*_

_1862-Mexia, Texas-Whitlock Property-Third Person_

_A 16-year-old Bella stood on the porch of the old white house, waiting. She had gotten the call not long ago, and was now expecting the doctor. She didn't have to wait long, for as soon as she had made to go back in the house to ring the doctor (five minutes after he had just alerted her of his arrival, but that didn't faze her), the horse-drawn carriage that her family was so familiar with pulled around the corner. She took two steps forward, and then one step back. She was anxious to know what was happening, but hesitant in case it wasn't good news._

_The back door opened, and she held her breath as the man came into view. He was tall, but nowhere near Jasper's height. He had to be about thirty-five in age, and he had dark brown hair with dark purple. He looked up at her and sighed. Bella felt the tears spring to her eyes._

_"Miss Whitlock, I'm sor-"_

_"If you're goin' to say you're sorry, you don't have to. It ain't your fault. And what have I said about callin' me Miss Whitlock? If you ain't goin' to say Bella, you ain't goin' to speak to me at all." She finished with her hands on her hips, lips set in a firm line. But then she winked and gestured to the front door. "Now, com'on in, Christian. It's mighty cold outside at three in the mornin'. You too, Daniel," she called to the coachman. Said man hopped from the carriage and followed the petite girl inside. Bella lit kerosine lamps as she went, her long, proper skirts brushing the floor gently. How she wished the doctor wasn't a gentleman, for she could then wear a pair of pants around the house._

_They made their way to the parlor where she had set out three cups: coffee for the coachman, a bourbon for the doctor, and brandy for herself. They all took a seat around the fire._

_"So, you said you had urgent news for me." She sipped her drink and got comfortable. "Well, get to talkin'. I ain't got all day."_

_Christian rung his hands nervously. "Well, Miss Whi-Bella. We have been doin' tests on your father to see what might be wrong with him." He looked up to see large, brown eyes staring at him. He flinched. Her eyebrows rose. He cleared his throat. "We think it's a growth on his jaw."_

_"Cut it off, then. You know how to do that." When she heard no response, Bella turned her head just slightly to see the doctor's expression. It spoke louder than words. "It's killin' him, ain't it?"_

_"I'm sorry."_

_She smiled sadly. "It's fine, Christian. It's not like anyone can live forever." She missed the look the two men shared at her words as she stood up and smoothed her skirt. She put a fake smile on her face as she spoke. "Hurry on up, drink your drinks, and place your coats back on. I've got to get to bed and get some beauty sleep." Both men downed their drinks and did as told. She followed them to the door. As they moved silently down the front stairs, a coyote cry pierced the silence._

_"Y'all be careful now, you hear? I ain't goin' to be goin' to no funerals," she said sternly. Both men chuckled._

_"We hear you, Bella. Now, go on, get inside. There are scarier things than coyotes out there." The young woman nodded and headed inside. She quickly made her way upstairs to her bedroom. Changing quickly, she sat upon the window seat, peering up at the pinkening sky. _Texan sunrises always come early, _she thought to herself when she saw the time. She gripped the windowsill tightly and smiled lightly. The sun was coming up steadily now, and she could see all the animals waking up. It was a beautiful sight._

_She didn't hear the front door open, so it came as no surprise when she walked down the stairs and froze. Next to the door was a wornout satchel. A satchel that belonged to a certain person in the war. She sprinted down the stairs and to the kitchen, tripping over the leg of a table and letting a few choice words slip._

_"Wow. And here I thought I had a sister in the house. But then again, you've always done thin's most girls wouldn't do."_

_Bella brushed her long hair out of her face, getting up. She squealed loudly and cried out, "Jazzy!"_

_The blonde male laughed and lifted the girl up. "Bellie!" She laughed as he danced around the room with her. Passing the radio, he turned a knob, and fast-paced music came out of the speakers. He bowed gracefully and she curtsied quickly, taking his hand and spinning her under his arm. They carried themselves around the kitchen, ducking past chairs and dodging the corners of the tables. She giggled slightly when Jasper reached over and flipped the pancakes he started._

_"So," he asked when he dipped her, "Where's Pa?"_

_Bella's smile slipped from her features as tears gathered behind her eyes. "He's at the doctor's house."_

_Jasper dropped his arms from her waist. "What?"_

_"He started coughing about a month ago, and from there, it just got worse. And a couple of days ago," she wiped tears from her eyes, "He collapsed." Saying those two words seemed to make it hit her finally, and she broke down, sinking to the floor. Jasper caught her and fell down as well, eyes blank as his little sister cried on his chest."_

* * *

_2010-Mexia, Texas-Whitlock Property-Isabella Marie Whitlock_

I sighed at the memory. Even though it wasn't the happiest memory, it was still precious to me. The fact that Jasper came home after I watched a beautiful sunset gave me hope. I had begun watching after that, wishing to see another one so I would have good news about my father, or Jasper would stay home for good.

_I had never seen another like it, _I mused.

A soft creak alerted me to another presence on the porch. My head whipped around, and I saw my brother taking the other rocking chair.

"Hey." I smiled wryly at him.

"Hey," I responded. He grasped my hand and immediately knew what was going on. I'm pretty sure I felt melancholy.

"What were you just thinkin' of?"

I turned towards the sunrise. "The reason I started watching them." I didn't need any bigger explaination because Jasper already knew why. We sat there in silence; neither moving until the grandfather clock struck eight. I lifted myself up slowly.

"Time for breakfast," I said. Jasper gave me a look. "What? The animals have to eat!" He rolled his eyes. We headed to the parlor now, and right befor we entered, my brother opened his big mouth and got me going.

"I bet I can feed them faster than you." I froze, and looked at him. He was leaning against the doorframe, a cocky smirk playing on his lips. I couldn't help it. I snorted.

"You? Beat _me? _You _must _be jokin'." I pushed open the double doors, revealing the Cullen family sitting in there. I got that familar pain whenever I saw them.

"You know I can. That's why you ain't goin' to do it." He got real close to my ear. "You're _scared._"

"Scared?" I whirled around, eyes hard. "You listen here, Jasper Charles Whitlock, an' you listen real good. I ain't 'fraid of nothin' or nobody, 'specially you." I poked him in the chest hard, and a light rumble occured. I realized he was laughing at me.

"Then why don't you prove me wrong?" I pondered this. Why _don't _I?

_Oh, yeah._

'Cause it's stupid.

But it _is_ fun...

I smirked, my lips twisting in a familar way. "You've got yourself a deal, brother." Jasper grasped my outstretched hand and shook.

"You better brin' it." He pulled himself to his full height, tying to intimidate me.

"Oh, I _already _brought it." I cocked a brow. "The question is: did _you?_"

A deep, booming laugh snapped us out of our pissing contest, and we both looked at the source. The big one-Emmett-had his head thrown back, the dimples in his cheeks more pronounced as he laughed at us.

"Jasper! You never told us that she was such a little spitfire!"

"I tried to forget 'bout it," he said. I pouted.

"I'm not that bad!" Jasper gave me a look that said _Are you serious?_ He didn't give me a chance to answer for he disappeared. I blinked. "Where'd he go?"

Alice answered me. "He to get the food for the animals." She looked blankly ahead for a moment, and I raised an eyebrow. She blinked and came back, turning to Carlisle. "You're going to hunt?"

He nodded. "Our eyes are getting dark, and Jasper wants to show us a spot he hunted at."

My eyes snapped open wider, and I had to ask. "How good is your control?" Six pairs of eyes looked at me.

"Why?" Esme sounded worried.

"Jasper likes a challenge."

"Sure do," he said, holding to buckets of feed in his hands. "But what 'bout this time?" I looked over my shoulder.

"Monterry," I said simply. He grinned. "Fun times." I rolled my eyes.

"You ready?" I gestured to the buckets. He tossed one to me and I caught it, narrowing my eyes. We suddenly took off.

* * *

_2010-Mexia, Texas-Whitlock Property-Jasper Charles Whitlock Hale_

I felt the hard pressure on my face as my sister use it as a push-off board. She threw a wink over her shoulder and took off towards her half. I sped up, throwing feed to the chickens as I passed.

_Ducks, pigs, goats, hens, _I thought to myself as I fed them. _Damn, how far is Bells?_ I came up to the stables just in time to see Bella leaving with two bales of hay. I quickly fed the horses and picked up two bales. She was already feeding the last cow when I pushed off the top of the fence that surrounded them and tore the bales apart. I caught Bella's gasp as I landed, and saw her turn tail and run to the house. I bounced once on the balls of my feet and followed, chuckling. I was slowly catching up to her when-

"ISABELLA MARIE WHITLOCK!"

Bella froze, letting me shoot past her and straight up the porch. My family was already out there, waiting to see what would happen. I could feel waves of shock and excitement rolling off her before I even saw who it was. When I did, I may have fainted if I could. Hell, I _know_ I would have.

A familar face was smiling broadly at my sister, the little female next to him mimicking. Bella's eyes lit up, even when she had an aggravated expression.

"Dammit, Peter! You ain't got one lick of sense in there, do ya? Can't you see I was kickin' Jasper's ass?"

"Hey, now," I protested, distracted. "You were only kickin' it the first half. I was catchin' up, an' you know it." She turned to me.

"I don't know nothin'," she said, her accent coming out thicker. I deadpanned at her. "An' since I don't know nothin', that means I was winnin'. Which brings me back to..." She stomped her foot. "Dammit, Peter!"

Said male just grinned and ran a hand through his shaggy locks. "I know."

A wave of irritation hit me, and out the corner of my eye, I saw Bella's face twist up into something I've seen before. The only thing missing was her reddening cheeks.

Edward let loose a snort, obviously hearing my thought. Bella twisted around, same expression on her face. "You have somethin' to say, Mr. Cullen?" Edward wisely sobered up. He widened his eyes innocently and said, "No, Miss Whitlock. I just heard something that I thought was funny." He flashed a charming smile at her that even vampire girls woudl swoon at. But he didn't know that this was Bella Whitlock he tried to charm.

_You just dug your own grave, _I sent to him before she snapped.

Her golden eyes narrowed, the color darkening. "Did you just try to charm me, Mr. Cullen?" She appeared in front of him, poking him in the chest. "Did you?" she hissed. Edward looked at a loss, wondering how to answer.

_The truth, _I told him.

"Yes," he said, looking down at her. The gold of her eyes almost disappeared completely behind her eyelids.

"Do you know what I've down to men who've tried to charm his way out of trouble with me?"

I flinched and remembered the male newborn that thought he could get out of the choosing. Poor fellow wasn't even ash when Bella got through with him. Edward winced at the memory, and Bella cocked a brow.

"You act like you know," she said slowly. She studied him for a moment before realization dawned on her face. "You're a mindreader." He nodded tersely. Her face softened at his nervous pose. "My stupid brother didn't warn you, did he?" He shook his head once. She smiled lightly. "I can't be mad at you then. It was prob'ly a natural reaction."

"It is," Rosalie piped up. Edward threw her a scathing glare. Bella just nodded.

"I'm sorry I scared you, then. I just have a very adverse reaction to charmers."

"You didn't scare me," he said quickly.

"Oh, really know?" Bella seemed just as fooled as I was. "Jasper?"

"He was scared. Oh, get over it, Edward. If anythin', Bella can force you to tell the truth."

* * *

_2010-Mexia, Texas-Whitlock Property-Edward Anthony Masen Cullen_

"What?" I was completely lost. What was he talking about?

"Jasper," she hissed, "you know I don't like usin' it." She wrapped one finger around the bottom of her hair, tugging on it gently. I was distracted by that little gesture that made my attention focus on her neck. I wondered if it was as soft as it looked.

I blinked, shocked at my train of thought. What was wrong with me? That was Jasper's little sister I was thinking about. I was suddenly grateful that Jasper's gift wasn't mine. If it was, I would probably be burning at this moment.

"I was just sayin'. You _can _use it, just prob'ly won't."

Jasper's comment brought me back to the present. I quickly checked my family's thoughts to see if they knew what was going on.

_Hmm, Bella seems easily worked up. I wonder if I could get her into a baseball game. _Typical Emmett.

_Oh, Jasper. Why must you rile your sister up? _Esme was staying in Mother Hen mode, subconsciously including Bella as a child. I was surprised to find I wasn't entirely adverse to that idea.

_I hope Jasper tells us what's going on. I really hate this secrecy. _Rosalie was getting impatient.

_Bella's going to be a perfect addition to the family. And with her gift, she'll be able to help us move easier. _Alice knew what the gift was, although she wasn't revealing anything.

_Bella's overreactin'. I was just makin' a point._ Jasper was still on the fight.

_Didn't Jasper mention something about her gifts? _Carlisle's simple thought made my head spin back to a few days, when Jasper spoke of Bella. She had two gifts: a sort-of mind control and...

A mental sheild.

I was curious as I focused soley on her, blocking out everyone else.

And suddenly, it was quiet.

I sighed a breath of relief, and it felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I could feel my body unwinding.

"Edward. Are you okay? You seem...peaceful." Jasper's question brought me back to myself, and, on reflex, I focused on his mind. A growl rumbled through my chest as I heard all the thoughts trickle back in.

"I was," I gritted out.

"I know." Jasper was looking at me. "I felt it. I've never felt you relax that much. Ever." He didn't understand.

But Bella did. "You focused on my mind, didn't you?"

"I did." I found myself explaing before I could stop. "I was wondering to what extent your sheild would hold. And when I focused on your mind, all the normal thoughts stopped. It was _quiet._" The way I said "Quiet" was enough to make everyone understand that I had been waiting years for that to happen.

Bella gave me a bright smile. I was briefly mesmerised by the light reflecting off her perfect teeth. "If you want, you can focus on my mind anytime you want. It won't make a difference to me."

I took her up on that offer the moment it left her lips.

* * *

**Finally. My neck is starting to hurt. And I've got homework to do. Bleh. I'm going to go watch a movie or something like that.**

**(I wonder if we have any popcorn...)**

**Well, what's going to happen now?**

**Why have Peter and Charlotte come back?**

**And is Edward starting to have feelings for our favorite Southern Belle?**

**Denial is not just a river in Egypt, Eddie-boy...**

**(Sorry. I was watching Pegasus from Yu-Gi-Oh. He keeps calling Yugi, Yugi-boy, and Kaiba, Kaiba-boy. Man, I wish Atem would figure out he's himself! He could just break some minds and send people to the Shadow Realm.**

**HEY! Maybe they have popcorn!)**

**You know the drill. Review. It's what makes my world go 'round.**


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